One concerned viewer lamented just how such a thing could happen in Norway, while another fretted: “It looks really scary, should be banned. You can never know who is under there. Could be terrorists with weapons.”

“Get them out of our country, those who look like collapsed umbrellas. Frightening times we are living in,” exclaimed another.

The storm went viral after Facebook user Sindre Beyer began screen-grabbing and publicly posting the responses, musing: “What happens when a photo of some empty bus seats is posted to a disgusting Facebook group and nearly everyone thinks they see a bunch of burkas?”

The man responsible for posting the image has come forward to admit it was a “little practical joke” and it had given him a “good laugh.”

Johan Slattavik told WorldViews via Facebook message: “I laid out the photo to see what happened,” adding he was shocked so many people had fallen for it.